Dream (Rosewood Bay Series Book 4)

by Carly Phillips

  Still, she understood his point. “I know.” Not that she’d inflict Billy on Kyle now any more than she would have in the past, but she wasn’t about to argue with him.

  She’d learned a lot since her divorce, since she’d been the young girl who’d let him abuse her. Was she still afraid? Yes. Would she protect Billy and keep his actions to herself? Never again.

  But she didn’t intend to let him take up any of her present, not unless she was faced with him again. So she looked up at Kyle and cupped his face in her hand. “I just want to enjoy the here and now. I want to enjoy you.”

  “Amen to that,” he said, leaning in and brushing his lips across hers.

  Chapter Five

  Andi’s next chance to see Kyle came sooner than she’d expected. Kane called her the following week, offering to take Nicky to the city for a Saturday night game at Yankee Stadium, where the team was playing his favorite Boston Red Sox. Unfortunately, when she called Kyle to tell him that she was free that night, he already had plans to go to the Blue Wall with Ryan Mueller. As luck would have it, Georgia’s husband was out of town, and she later asked Andi to go out that same evening. Andi suggested the Blue Wall, knowing that would let her meet up with Kyle and surprise him there.

  It had been a long time since she’d prepared to be with a man but tonight she wasn’t taking any chances. She showered and shaved her legs, washing with her favorite peach-scented wash, followed by a complementary moisturizer. She rubbed the cream up and down her arms and legs, softening her skin. Even over a week later, her body was still tingling at the memory of the orgasm Kyle had given her, the craving to be closer to him growing with each passing day.

  Georgia offered to drive and Andi let her, knowing this way she could have a drink or two if she desired or decide to leave and spend the night with Kyle, something she had been contemplating doing all week. Knowing they were on the same page with expectations made it easier for her to let go and be with him sexually, because he wouldn’t want anything emotional from her in return. She just didn’t think she had it in her to give, not when she was so intent on being independent and self-reliant. And he seemed to understand.

  At the thought of being with Kyle again, her nipples puckered beneath the camisole she wore. She blew out a long breath and slipped on a lightweight V-neck sweater, giving her the option to take if off if it was warm in the bar. She paired it with tight jeans and high boots.

  One last glance in the mirror and she decided she liked the way she looked. She fluffed out her hair and repaired her lip gloss before heading to the door to wait for her ride.

  The Blue Wall was the town’s main evening location, a nice restaurant on one side and an upscale bar on the other. Having worked as a hostess for a long time, Andi was more than familiar with the inner workings of the restaurant, but she had rarely gone to the bar for fun.

  She arrived to find the place as busy as she’d expect on a Saturday night and butterflies jumped in her stomach as they entered.

  “It’s a rare night that I go out without my husband,” Georgia said as they wove their way through the crowd.

  “It’s a rare night that I go out,” Andi said wryly, and she was excited to be here tonight, to be a woman and not a mom, to flirt and to just enjoy. If she could find the man she was looking for.

  “What do you want to drink?” Georgia asked as she reached the bar.

  “A white wine spritzer.”

  “Oh! I’ll have the same thing.” Georgia turned to place their orders and Andi looked around, not seeing Kyle yet. She swallowed her disappointment and waited for Georgia to turn around with their drinks. Andi figured she would pay for the next round.

  With all the people surrounding her, she grew warm and slipped the crocheted sweater over her head, draping it across one arm. She fixed the camisole so it lay correctly, just as Georgia handed her a glass.

  “Thanks.”

  Together they eased forward and finally found an empty place to hang out. Andi took a sip of her bubbly liquid.

  “So you mentioned Kyle Davenport came over for dinner last week. Do tell.” Georgia tucked a strand of her wavy blonde hair behind her ear and leaned closer to hear better over the noise of the bar.

  Andi figured the heated flush staining her cheeks would answer her friend’s question but she replied anyway. “We were best friends as kids but things are more heated between us now,” she admitted.

  “Oh my God! You are never interested in men! You refuse to let me set you up with anyone, so this must really mean something!”

  Andi immediately shook her head. “It can’t be serious,” she told her friend. “We’re just getting to know each other again and maybe crossing new lines. But I’m a mom and I have to focus on myself and my son.”

  She glanced over to see her friend eyeing her with a speculative gaze. “We’ll see. At least you’re taking that first step. You deserve to have someone good in your life. I, for one, am happy for you.”

  Andi smiled. “Thank you,” she said, determined to leave it at that.

  “Ladies.” A blond-haired man she’d never seen before stepped up beside them. “What are two beautiful women like you doing standing all alone?”

  Georgia met Andi’s gaze and Andi shook her head in response.

  Georgia flashed her wedding ring at the man. “Sorry. I’m taken.”

  “And so is she,” a familiar male voice said, and before Andi could react, Kyle stepped between her and the stranger, slipping an arm around her waist. The warmth of his body and the musky scent of his cologne penetrated her senses and she leaned into him, only too happy to let him drive the man off.

  The stranger got the message immediately and drifted on to the next group of single women he could find.

  “My hero,” Andi teased him. “Thanks for saving me.”

  He met her gaze, his golden-brown gaze hot and intense as he focused on her. “I’m not letting another man come near you when it’s taken me this long to get my hands on you.”

  “Aww, look at you two.” Georgia held up her drink in a toast of approval. She made a show of glancing around before saying, “I see someone I need to talk to. I’ll catch up with you later, Andi. Bye, Kyle.” She not-so-subtly waved her free hand and left them alone.

  “Well.” He met her gaze. “This is a nice surprise,” he said to her.

  She rolled her shoulders but didn’t pull out of his embrace, liking the feel of his arm around her. “I thought you might like it. When Georgia said she wanted to go out, I suggested we come here.”

  He slid a hand over her hip and cupped her possessively against him. “Looking for me?” he asked.

  She turned her face upward, taking in his sexy razor stubble and strong jaw. “Maybe I was.”

  “Then lucky me. Can I get you another drink?” he asked.

  “No, I’m still good with this one.”

  He stepped back and let his gaze roam over her, eyes darkening appreciatively. “Looking good, Ms. Harmon.”

  She straightened her shoulders, pleased with both his sexual perusal and the fact that he liked what he saw. “Why, thank you, Mr. Davenport.” She deliberately fluttered her lashes and he grinned.

  Without warning, a shiver took hold and she glanced over her shoulder, feeling like someone was watching her. She looked around, narrowing her gaze on a familiar-looking man who disappeared behind the wall to the restrooms. She shook her head. He merely reminded her of Billy, that was all. She was just being paranoid.

  “Is something wrong?” Kyle asked, recapturing her attention.

  “Not a thing.” She managed a smile. She wasn’t about to let anything ruin their night together. “Do you have to get back to Ryan?”

  He looked to the bar area and she followed his gaze to see that his friend had caught up with his girlfriend.

  “Nope. He’s doing just fine on his own.”

  “Good.” Then they had time together and she didn’t intend to waste it.

  * * *


  Kyle had been holding on to his beer and talking to Ryan about his friend’s most recent civil litigation case when he caught sight of Andi and her friend Georgia, chatting on the far side of the bar. He was content to watch, his body stirring at the sight of her relaxed and happy, sipping what looked like wine and smiling at her friend. Until a guy approached them with an interested gleam in his eye.

  Then Kyle knew he had to step in, his alpha instincts taking over, everything inside him screaming she was his. He knew better than to mention it to her, considering her skittishness about the word relationship and how insistent she was about keeping things light and easy. He could do that for her, all the while drawing her in deeper. At least that was his plan.

  He’d interrupted them and she didn’t seem upset; in fact, she’d said she’d come here knowing she’d find him. They’d just agreed Ryan was fine on his own when a slow song began to play through the speakers and he glanced over at the small dance floor, where a handful of people swayed to the music.

  “Join me?” he asked her, extending a hand.

  She clasped her fingers inside his, curling them around him. “Sure thing.”

  They placed their drinks down and he led her to the wooden floor and pulled her into his arms. Tucking her against his chest, he clasped her hand tight and twirled her around in time to the music. The floor grew crowded and they were crunched together, their movements slowing. Not that he minded, the press of their bodies feeling natural and right, building the growing desire between them.

  “I never envisioned us together like this,” she said as they moved, their hips shifting in synchronicity.

  His heart thudded inside his chest as they talked about the one thing he’d kept to himself all these years. “I imagined it. I just never thought my wish would come true.”

  “You did? You thought of us as more than friends, even back when we were younger?” she asked, clearly stunned by his admission.

  He nodded and his body throbbed in agreement, the yearning he’d had for her a familiar feeling except now it was closer to fulfillment. “I was just too young, too scared to tell you the truth. And then time ran out.”

  “Billy,” she said, a full-body shudder taking hold.

  He wrapped her tighter in his arms. “Not a name we’re going to let come between us tonight.”

  Or ever.

  She smiled at his words, her face lighting up in agreement. “I like how you think.” Her gaze locked on his and he lowered his head, his lips meeting hers.

  He stopped dancing, his sole focus on her mouth, kissing her and letting her know without words how quickly he was falling. Or he should say falling all over again, this time for real, because he was getting the chance to explore all facets of her, including the desire he’d never been able to express before.

  He slid his hands around her waist, his fingertips gliding down to her ass, and he held her closer. Need pulsed through him, his cock hard in his pants, and he knew he couldn’t stay in public any longer.

  “Want to get out of here?” And so she couldn’t mistake his meaning, he ground himself into the cradle of her legs, his groin surrounded by warmth and heat.

  When her eyes darkened, he read the same desire there that was pounding inside of him and she nodded.

  “My place,” he said, sliding his hand into hers.

  “Yes.”

  On the way out, she stopped to let Georgia know she was leaving with him and wouldn’t need a ride home, and then he helped her into his car. The sedan was new, something he’d bought when he returned home, and usually he noticed the new-car smell, but when he came around the driver’s side and climbed in, her scent overtook him, the intoxicating fruity smell permeating his skin and his senses.

  He gripped the steering wheel harder, the drive to his place a test of his patience and ability to control himself when all he wanted to do was pull over to the side of the road, yank Andi onto his lap, and thrust deep inside her.

  He swallowed hard and decided to be sure they were on the same page. “Second thoughts?” he asked, giving her an out.

  In reply, she inched her fingers across the center console and placed a hand on his thigh, the contact burning his skin through the denim, and squeezed his leg, her fingers pressing deep. “Not at all. In fact, I was just wondering if you could drive faster.” The corners of her lips lifted in a sexy smile.

  He had his answer.

  A few sexual-tension-filled minutes later, he pulled into the driveway of his house and tapped the electric garage door opener so he could drive inside. He cut the engine and came around to her side of the car, then helped her out.

  His hand on the small of her back, his heart pounding inside his chest, he led her into the house he’d bought never thinking Andi would step inside and shut the door behind them.

  He walked them into the kitchen and dropped the keys in a bowl, then turned and pulled her into his arms. She met him halfway and their mouths joined. Melded. Their bodies came together as if they couldn’t get to each other fast enough.

  His tongue slid between her lips, devouring her, sliding back and forth, only breaking the kiss when he couldn’t wait to get his hands on her bare skin.

  “Bedroom,” he said, grasping her hand and leading her to his room in the back of the house, where the light of the lamp he’d left on guided the way.

  No sooner did he have her beside the bed than they came together again, their lips colliding, tongues tangling, fingers fisting in each other’s hair. He’d never brought a woman to this place, no one in Rosewood Bay interesting him enough to get this far in the short time he’d been back. Andi was different. She always had been.

  She broke the kiss and placed her hands on the hem of his shirt, pulling it up and over his head. Her hands slid up his abdomen, her fingers gliding along his skin, causing an electric current to run along his nerve endings.

  “I don’t remember you being so fit,” she murmured, obviously pleased with what she saw and felt beneath her palms.

  “I work out,” he said.

  “It shows and I like it.” She skimmed her nails over his nipples and his cock jerked in response.

  Grasping her wrists, he pulled her hands away from his body and pulled them to her sides and out of the way. “I’m glad. But I want to focus on you.” He wanted to see her come apart beneath his mouth, his fingers, and then when he was inside her soft, wet body.

  “You’ve done that once,” she said, cheeks flushing.

  Not that he needed reminding. The feel of her slick wetness beneath his fingertips was never far from his mind and he wanted to feel her again now.

  He also wanted to see her in all her naked glory. “And I’m going to do it again. Let’s get you undressed.”

  Before he could reach out, she kicked off her sandals and stripped off her shirt, leaving her in a bra and jeans, revealing the swells of her breasts pushing upward from the cups of her bra. She reached behind her and removed the flimsy garment next and his mouth ran dry and his cock strained against his pants at the sight of her bared before him.

  Her gaze never leaving his, she unbuttoned her jeans, hooked her fingers into the waistband, and pulled them, along with her panties, down and off her long legs.

  This Andi, the siren with her brown hair flowing over her shoulders, was everything he’d dreamed about as she faced him, glorious in her nudity.

  “Now it’s your turn,” she said, her gaze on the bulging strain of his erection.

  He had no problem reciprocating and immediately undressed, tossing his clothes into a pile on the floor.

  * * *

  Andi stood before Kyle, her nipples puckering thanks to the cool air and his hot gaze. And when he stripped, revealing the hard male body she’d only envisioned before, her underused hormones went into overdrive.

  “I dreamed of this,” he said, his words washing over her, causing wetness to drip between her thighs. “I dreamed of you.” He lifted her chin in his hand and his lips came down on hers. Fl
ames immediately consumed her, desire sweeping through her like wildfire.

  Next thing she knew, he pressed her back against the mattress, his big, hard body coming down over hers. She sighed at the feel of his warmth, groaned at the strength of the erection grinding into her sex. She ran a foot up his hair-roughened calf, closing her eyes at the feel of him on top of her.

  They worked their way to the head of the bed and he rose to straddle her, his cock sliding along her damp sex. From a sitting position, he cupped her breasts in his hands, rolling her nipples back and forth between his thumbs and forefingers. She arched into him, the sensations he created causing arousal to streak through her, from her breasts to her clit, desire a living, breathing thing inside her.

  He stared down at her almost reverently as he slid a hand down her stomach, his fingers taking a path south, cupping her in his hand. “I’m going to make you come,” he promised, easing his big body downward so his face was level with her sex.

  Without waiting, he slid his tongue over her clit, back and forth, teasing her mercilessly. She moaned and writhed beneath him, but he was determined and didn’t let up, his hands on her thighs, his mouth devouring her, lapping at where she needed him most. It didn’t take long for him to bring her up and over, a quick but thorough and explosive climax startling her in its intensity.

  She relaxed afterwards, lax against the bed, and when she opened her eyes, his face was level with hers, a satisfied gleam in his golden-brown eyes. “That was just the beginning,” he said, his tone a promise.

  He slid his lips over hers and she tasted herself on him, surprised by the intimacy of the act. His cock pressed hard and insistently against her and she moaned, arching herself up, shocked to discover waves of desire alive inside her once more.

  He broke the kiss and stared down at her for a moment, his eyes soft before he pulled back. “Condom,” he muttered, reaching over and opening his nightstand drawer.

  As she watched, he ripped open a foil packet and slid protection over his thick, straining erection. She swallowed hard, knowing how long it had been since she’d had sex. Since she’d allowed any man the privilege of entry into her body or allowed herself the pleasure. In fact, she couldn’t remember the last time sex had equaled pleasure.